


Playing House

by Semi_problematic



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Carls a good wife, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and being the good wife negan always says he is, and he will not admit it, but he loves taking care of negan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 14:51:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13977414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semi_problematic/pseuds/Semi_problematic
Summary: Carl turned his head away from Negan and pulled away. "You need to eat. You haven't been eating as much lately. It's worrying everyone. They think you're gonna die or something." Carl sat next to him, rubbing his lower back."You take such good care of me." Negan picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. "What would I do without you?"Carl only smiled and wiped a crumb from Negans lip. "Crash and burn."





	Playing House

**Author's Note:**

> Carl is 18/19 like always

"Do you like taking care of daddy?" Carls legs swung back and forth as they dangled off of the chair. He was smaller than most of the kids in his class, it worried the teachers and it worried his mom. His dad on the other hand just said that Carl was growing in his time. That one day he will gain a bunch of inches and have limbs for miles. Lori hoped it was true. She didn't want Carl getting made of for being small.

Lori wiped her hands on a towel and laid.it on the counter. She thought for a moment before replying. "Yeah. I love taking care of him." She looked down at Carl and smiled, running her fingers through his hair. He was going to be needing a haircut soon. "What made you think of that, buddy?" 

"My teacher at school said that if I ever get a wife that I should help her with it. That it's not okay to.. to... expect mommies like you to do all the work." Carl smiled, pushing his head up against her hand. Lori always joked that he was part cat. He loved having his hair played with. "So... cuz you do it I was wondering if you like it or if daddy made you do it?"

"Your daddy could never make me do anything. I'm my own person." Lori laughed, playing with her own hair before pushing it over her shoulder. "And your teachers got a good head on her shoulder. Ladies shouldn't have to do all the work, they shouldn't be expected to-"

"Then why do you do it?" Carl asked. His big blue eyes caused Lori to only smile wider. He was like an angel. All curious and innocent. She was never going to let anything take that away from Carl. He was a gentle kid. She was going to make sure it stayed that way. "Since.. since you don't have to."

Lori shrugged. "I dunno. I just like it. The same way I like planting flowers and drawing with you. It's nice. Taking care of the people you love. Feeding them and protecting them and helping them. It's nice." She leaned down and kissed the top of his head. "Some ladies like doing it."

Carl nodded, grinning. "Why did you pick such a lame thing to like?" He erupted with giggles, his body squirming around in his seat. "Taking care of people isn't fun just like taking care of our pet fish isn't fun."

"Hey." Lori warned. It was hard to he stern to Carl when he was like this. Smiling and bubbling with laughter. But someone had to do it. Rick sure as hell couldn't. "That teaches you responsibility. And you never know. Maybe one day you'll find a pretty girl and marry her and you'll be the one staying home and taking care of her and your kids." 

Carl made a face and shook his head. "Ew. No. Not gonna marry any girls, they got cooties." He continued to shake his head. "And taking care of people is still lame. I'm not gonna ever do it. Ever." 

\- 

Sunlight poured through the dirty class of Negans bedroom. Negan laid in bed, eyes closed and sound asleep. People rushed up and down the halls of the sanctuary and zombies groaned outside. Carl stood at the window, watching. It went unsaid that he was in charge whenever Negan wasn't. Negans people feared Carl, whether it be because Carl was known as a serial killer in the making or that they knew what Negan would do if they hurt Carl. Either way, the fear that pumped through their veins kept Carl respected and in charge, and really, that was all that mattered. 

Carl glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. It read a little after nine in the morning. Next, Carl glanced at Negan, smiling. Negan had been knocked out for hours. He had gotten back from a supply run after night fall and came up to bed. Carl remembered feeling the rough denim drag across the backs of his legs and the zipper of his jacket scrape into his back. Carl had climbed out of bed and pulled Negans jacket and pants off himself. Negan was too tired to make any sex jokes. Carl was grateful. 

Lucille dangled from Carls hand as he walked towards the door, slowly opening it, stepping out, and closing it. The conversations that traveled up and down the hall ended, each person falling silent and staring wide eyed at him. Carl smiled to himself and tightened his grip on Lucille, dragging the end of the bat across the wall as he walked. 

"Good morning." Carl smiled. "I hope all of you slept good and had a good breakfast." He looked each person up and down as they past. Most looked away or shivered underneath his gaze. Carl loved it. He drank it up like it was cool beer. "Negan is still asleep, considering how late he was gone. So, be good and don't cause any trouble." He bit his lip and turned around when it made it to the stairway, looking back at everyone. "Because no one likes it when hes angry." 

People began to mutter once his back was turned. They said the same things they always did. Words like bitch and slut swirled around the air. Wife was the most common one, though. They thought of it to be degrading, but Carl wore the label proud. Negan called him that, too, which only made things better. 

Once Carl started living at the Sanctuary, more and more people began to be angry. He wasn't the enemy anymore. He wasn't some cute kid that could bat his eyelashes and make Negan weak. Carl was something to be feared and to look out for. Most said that Carl was more messed up than Negan. That this world only bent Negan but Carl was made for it. That a different kind of disease ran through his bloodstream. A disease that made him ruthless and powerful while being kind and loving. They feared Carl, not because of his anger or his weapons, or the man he could control. They feared Carl because he did not just play the game. He created it. 

The kitchen had been up and running for hours. Negan had them get up at sunrise and begin to cook, considering they had more than enough mouths to feed. Carl stepped through the kitchen, looking each of the workers up and down as they flipped, stirred, tossed, and diced different foods. 

"Is Negan awake yet?" Asked one of the workers. They spoke quietly, their eyes staying on the food they were preparing instead of on Carl. "We already planned on making you both a plate, but we were waiting on the okay to make it and send it up."

"He's still asleep." Carl smiled. "And please, make us two plates." He leaned closer to them, not even blinking when they flinched away. "Talk louder and make eye contact. People like Negan and I will control you if you don't." He patted their back and laughed, turning around and looking at all the chefs. "It smells amazing, you guys always do so good. How did we get so lucky?" 

A few muttered smart ass things under their breath. Not because they thought that they were being sneaky, but because they knew Carl tolerated it. Encouraged it, even. Unlike Negan, Carl encouraged individual things. Like love, worry, and anger. He liked hearing how angry he made them and that they had things to say, but were still to afraid to say it. They would never speak up, never look him in the eye. But they would duck away and mumble comments. In a way, it showed Carl just how much control he had. That they had thoughts but were too afraid to say it to his face.

A small child, a little boy to be exact, peered into the kitchen. The boy looked to be about ten or so, with long brown hair that curled around his neck. His eyes were a deep brown that matched the color of his hair. "Mom.." He whispered, gasping when he saw Carl. He hid behind the counter and got down on his knees. 

"Honey.." A woman, most likely the boys mom, glanced back at Carl nervously. "Mommy is working right now. Go out and play with the other kids and come back when the sun's up over the trees. Oka-"

"No. He's fine." Carl walked past her, peeking around the counter. "Found ya." He grinned. "What's your name?" He got down on his knees, reaching his hand out. He tilted his head to the side and watched the boy. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you. You can trust me.." He glanced back at the mom, then at the boy. "I'm a good guy."

The room fell silent as the child stepped towards Carl. He kept his eyes on the ground in front of him and kept pulling at the hem of his shirt, playing with it. 

Carl pulled off his hat and placed it on the boys head, smiling when it fell down and hid his face. "Can you carry my bat for me?" His smile grew when the boy nodded. "Hold onto the end and don't touch any of the wire. Drag it on the ground if you gotta. I don't want you getting hurt." He stood up and walked over to the counter, picking up his tray with two plates on it. "He'll come back safe and sound." Carl walked out the door, chuckling when he heard the scrape of Lucille on the floor. 

The boy reminded Carl of himself. Small and afraid. Clinging to his mom. Carl wanted to toughen him up. Make sure that he wasn't hurt the same ways Carl was. If that meant having the boy carry weapons in order to become comfortable with them he would. But Carl knew as soon as he laid his eye on the kid that he was going to protect him. Even if he died doing it. 

They walked up to Negans room in silence. The boys eyes bled into the back of Carls head. Lucille was still dragging against the floor but Carl didn't mind. Negan wouldn't get mad. After all, Lucille was partly his, everything of Negans was. When they got to the door of Negans room Carl turned to the boy and smiled. He opened up the door and set down the tray before grabbing the bat from him then picking up his hat. He thanked the boy and told him that he did good before sending him back down into the kitchen.

"Did we have kids?" Negan asked. He must have woken up while Carl was gone. The sheets were tangled around his waist and his hair shot off messily in each and every direction. "Cuz I don't remember you getting pregnant."

Carl rolled his eye and picked up the tray, setting it down on the bed. "He's just some kid. I got a soft spot for them." He reached out and ran his fingers through Negans hair. "You could use a haircut. Your hair is getting long again." He smiled when Negan pushed up into his hand. He would never point it out, though, because Negan didn't want to admit it. Admit that he loved something as simple as a touch. 

"Smells good." Negan mumbled, blinking slowly. He ran a hand down his face before looking back up at Carl. "Rather eat something else, though." He leaned up and pecked his lips, smiling. "You need to stop getting up so early, I wake up and wanna do shit and you're always gone."

"Someone's gotta take care of you." Carl looked at the window. "Take care of them, too. You have all night to do whatever you want-"

"Damn right I do." Negan kissed him again. "You're a good wife." He smiled, kissing his forehead. "But a good wifes gotta love her husband before anything else."

"I do." Carl mumbled. "You know that. You pointed it out as a weakness." He reached up and cupped Negans cheek. "You're my Achilles heel." 

Negan turned his head and kissed Carls wrist before trailing wet kisses up his arm. He pulled Carl down onto the bed, sliding one hand down Carls side. "Good." 

Carl turned his head away from Negan and pulled away. "You need to eat. You haven't been eating as much lately. It's worrying everyone. They think you're gonna die or something." Carl sat next to him, rubbing his lower back.

"You take such good care of me." Negan picked up a piece of toast and took a bite. "What would I do without you?" 

Carl only smiled and wiped a crumb from Negans lip. "Crash and burn."


End file.
